So, are you thinking about starting the Preaching and Literary Genre course? Here's everything you'll need to know.

WHAT IS IN THIS COURSE?The Bible is one book, yet it is also a collection of writings in different literary genres. Each of these genres require unique reading strategies for both understanding and teaching that genre. But this is not always easy to do. In the Preaching and Literary Genre course, we focus on the biblical genres of Old Testament Narrative, Epistles, Wisdom Literature, Prophetic Literature, Apocalyptic Literature, and Gospels and Acts. By the end, you should be able to read and teach better from each of these genres.

For the Preaching and Literary Genre Course, there are two tracks available depending on your ministry responsibilities and level of interest: the Preaching Ministry Track and the Women’s Ministry Track.

PREACHING MINISTRY TRACKThe Preaching Ministry Track has 30 lessons that move through all six genres of Scripture (5 lessons per genre). This is the most in-depth course we offer, and it is designed to be taken over the course of two academic semesters. Each lesson requires 1-3 hours of work, perhaps a bit more for some lessons if there is an assignment (for the group format). How long this takes is up to you and the pace you want to set as an individual or in your group. While studying each different genre, 3-4 lessons are devoted to general instructions for handling that genre, while 1-2 lessons are sermon demonstrations from a text within that genre. This track can designed to be taken in a group, as an individual, or used as part of a church-based training program. Because this track includes 30 lessons (twice as many as our other full courses), we have divided it into two terms.

WOMEN'S MINISTRY TRACKThe Women’s Ministry Track is structured just like our Preaching Ministry Track, but with trained and experienced women presenting the demonstration sessions. Just like the teaching ministry track, there are 5 lessons on each genre, with 3-4 instructional videos and 1-2 sermon demonstrations per genre. This track can designed to be taken in a group, as an individual, or used as part of a church-based training program. Each lesson requires 1-3 hours of work, perhaps a bit more for some lessons if there is an assignment (for the group format). How long this takes is up to you and the pace you want to set as an individual or in your group. Because this track includes 30 lessons (twice as many as our other full courses), we have divided it into two terms.

SEMINARY CREDITStudents pursing a graduate degree may take the Preaching Ministry Track or the Women’s Ministry Track of this course for up to 6 hours of seminary credit with one of our partners. This option, of course, costs an additional fee and requires submitting each assignment for grading. Students can take the course for only one semester or for both, which affects the total cost of tuition and credits given. More information about the partners and the tuition can be found on the How It Works page.

There are two primary ways to take an of our courses: as a Group or as an Individual.

GROUP FORMATOur courses were designed for groups of people who have a common bond (e.g., pastors in the same city or denomination, students in the same church internship program, lay leaders for a particular ministry, missionaries from the same church, or even a group of friends). Those using this format will follow a syllabus, complete assignments, and spend time together discussing the videos. They will also present their own work in a text to the other members of the group. The group format is flexible, and there is no set schedule and pace for how a group must work through the course. The group coordinator will have a contact at the Charles Simeon Trust to answer any of their questions while leading the group.

INDIVIDUAL FORMATWe also have a self-guided option for students taking the course as individuals. Being our most flexible option, this is for students who want to take a course at their own pace or who simply want access to the online materials. In some cases and depending on our staff capacity, individual students may send their small group outlines and practice sermons to a Charles Simeon Trust employee for helpful feedback, though the rest of their coursework (study questions and readings) are to be completed independently.

The tuition for each varies according to your track and whether you are taking the course for seminary credit. The base cost for both the Preaching Ministry Track and the Women’s Ministry Track is $129. If you have taken one of our courses, been to one of our Workshops, or received a promotional card from us at a conference, a discounted price may be available.

We have partnered with the most experienced pastors and best professors we could recruit in order to elevate the quality of this course. We are grateful to each for contributing their hard work and expertise to this training effort.

Mike serves as Senior Pastor of CrossWay Community Church in Bristol, Wisconsin. Mike earned a diploma in Bible and Theology at Moody Bible Institute and a BA in Biblical Studies from Wheaton College. He then earned an MDiv and ThM from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, followed by a PhD in Rhetorical History and Criticism from Northwestern University. Prior to leading the launch of CrossWay Community Church in 1998, Mike served for 15 years as an Associate Professor of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology, as well as chairman of the Practical Theology Department at TEDS. He also serves on the council of The Gospel Coalition.

Don is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, where he has been since 1978. He also previously served as professor and dean at Northwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Vancouver. Additionally, he has years of pastoral experience in Canada and the United Kingdom. He earned a BS in chemistry from McGill University, MDiv from Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto and DPhil in New Testament from Cambridge University. He is a member of the Tyndale Fellowship for Biblical Research, the SBL, the Evangelical Theological Society and co-founded the Gospel Coalition. He has written or edited more than 45 books including An Introduction to the New Testament and Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church.

Mark is the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. He received a Bachelor's degree from Duke University, an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a DPhil from Cambridge University. Since his ordination 1985, he has served on the pastoral staffs of four churches, including a church plant in Massachusetts. Prior to moving to Washington in 1994, He also taught for the faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University while serving for two years as an associate pastor of Eden Baptist Church. Mark has written numerous books, including The Deliberate Church and the two volume overview of the Bible called Promises Kept and Promises Made. He also serves as the president of 9Marks and he is on the council of the Gospel Coalition.

Kevin is the Senior Pastor of University Reformed Church in Lansing, Michigan. He received a Bachelor's degree from Hope College and an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Kevin serves on the council of the Gospel Coalition and is the author of several books, including Why We're Not Emergent, What is the Mission of the Church?, and Just Do Something.

Josh is the Senior Pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He serves on the council of the Gospel Coalition and the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood He is also the author of several books, including I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Dug Down Deep.

Dave serves as Lead Pastor of the Hyde Park congregation of Holy Trinity Church in Chicago. David held the post of Senior Pastor from its founding in 1998 until 2008, when Jon Dennis assumed the role. A graduate of Wheaton College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, David is ordained in the PCA and serves on the council of The Gospel Coalition. He authored 1 & 2 Peter and Jude in Crossway’s Preaching the Word series, The Big Picture Story Bible and contributed to Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching in Honor of Kent Hughes. Additionally, David serves as Chairman of the Charles Simeon Trust, a ministry devoted to equipping the next generation of Bible expositors.

LISA HELM

Lisa HelmHoly Trinity Church - Chicago, Illinois

Exposition on Epistles

Lisa was born and raised in the Chicago area, graduating with a BA from Wheaton College. She and her husband live in the neighborhood of Hyde Park where David is a pastor. Lisa enjoys managing a busy household with her five children as well as working for an investment firm. In more than twenty years as a pastor’s wife, Lisa has led women’s Bible studies, written curriculum for children, and been blessed to be part of a vibrant church family. Currently she works alongside others teaching and ministering to women and children at Holy Trinity Church.

PAUL HOUSE

Paul HouseProfessor, Beeson Divinity School - Birmingham, Alabama

Instructions and Expositions on Prophetic Literature

Paul is Associate Dean and Professor of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. He earned a BA from Southwest Baptist University, an MA from the University of Missouri-Columbia and both an MDiv and a PhD from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A noted Biblical scholar and Old Testament theologian, he has authored numerous works, including Old Testament Survey, Old Testament Theology and the Word Biblical Commentary on Lamentations.

Kent is professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary and retired Senior Pastor of College Church in Wheaton. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Talbot Seminary as well as advanced degrees in ministry and divinity from Biola University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has authored numerous books including Disciplines of a Godly Man and many volumes of the Preaching the Word commentary series of which he is the editor.

David has served as the President of the Proclamation Trust in London and is a renowned Evangelical preacher and international speaker. He studied at Trinity College, Bristol and then began as assistant minister at Above Bar Church in Southampton in 1976. After 11 years as Senior Minister, David left Above Bar in 1991 to found the Cornhill Training Course in London, beginning his official affiliation with Dick Lucas and the Proclamation Trust. David is the author of numerous books including the The Message of John's Letters and the Let's Study 1 Corinthians.

Robert is the Director of Ministries of the Charles Simeon Trust, where he began working in 2005. In this role, Robert is responsible for overseeing the training initiatives and also frequently collaborates with David Helm on ministry projects. Robert earned a BA in Early Christian Literature at the University of Chicago, an MS in Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a PhD in New Testament at the University of Bristol. Robert also served as a pastoral intern at Holy Trinity Church in Chicago for six years and as the University Minister at the Hyde Park congregation for two years. Robert is ordained in the US missionary jurisdiction of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda and serves on the boards of Equipo Impacto and the Charles Simeon Trust of Canada. He is presently involved in teaching at Christ Church (Church of England) in Vienna, Austria.

DEB LORENTSEN

Deb LorentsenCollege Church - Wheaton, Illinois

Exposition on Gospels/Acts

Deb is a resident of Wheaton, Illinois where she is a part of College Church. She is an RN BSN having attended Taylor University, West Suburban Hospital School of Nursing, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Presently she is active in the Women’s Bible Study at College Church in Wheaton where she serves as a regular lecturer, small group leader and curriculum coordinator. She also serves on the board of the Charles Simeon Trust.

Colleen joined the Charles Simeon Trust as Director of Workshops in September 2007, where she was responsible for all activities related to the Workshops on Biblical Exposition. She now serves as the Director of Women's Workshops. Prior to working with the Trust, she was in the corporate world, most recently as a Business Development Manager at a major insurance corporation. Colleen earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the College of Business, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MDiv from the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. She serves on the board of Matthias Media Ministries and teaches women regularly in churches around the United States.

KATHLEEN B. NIELSON

Kathleen B. NielsonAuthor, Speaker - Lookout Mountain, Georgia

Exposition on Apocalyptic Literature

Kathleen holds an MA and a PhD in Literature from Vanderbilt University and a BA from Wheaton College. She has taught in the English departments at Vanderbilt University, Bethel College, and Wheaton College. She is on the Board of Directors of the Charles Simeon Trust and serves as the Director of Women's Initiatives for the Gospel Coalition. She is the author of numerous Bible studies including Proverbs, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and several others in the Living Word Bible Studies series. Kathleen has directed and taught women’s Bible studies at several churches and speaks extensively at conferences and retreats. Kathleen is married to Dr. Niel Nielson, former President of Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.

Doug is a lecturer at Queensland Theological College and the former Senior Pastor of New Covenant Church in Naperville, Illinois. A graduate from Wheaton College and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Doug is ordained in the PCA, a member of the North American Patristics Society, Fellowship for Theological Training, Evangelical Theological Society, and U.S. Board of the Irish Bible Institute. Doug is the author of God’s Lyrics: Rediscovering Worship through Old Testament Songs, The Beginning and End of Wisdom: Preaching the Foolishness of the Gospel from the First and Last Chapters of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job, and The Gospel of Matthew in the Preaching the Word series.

Jonathan serves as Associate Professor of New Testament Interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned a BA from Northern Illinois University, an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a PhD from University of St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland. He is the author of several academic works, including Heaven and Earth In the Gospel ofMatthew and Reading the Gospels Wisely.

PHILIP G. RYKEN

Philip G. RykenPresident, Wheaton College - Wheaton, Illinois

Instruction on EpistlesExposition on Old Testament Narrative

Phil is the president of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Before that, Phil served as Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Philadelphia. He received his Bachelors degree from Wheaton College, his Masters of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Divinity from Oxford University. He has authored numerous books, including commentaries on 1 Timothy (Reformed Expository Commentary) and Exodus (Preach the Word Series). He also serves as a Council Member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and on the council of the Gospel Coalition.

Carrie is Associate Minister for Women and Pastoral Care at St. John's Church, Tunbridge Wells in England. She has served in women’s and student ministry for almost 20 years. Carrie also trains women for Bible teaching ministry at the Cornhill Training Course in London and is a frequent speaker at ministry conferences and conferences for women all over the world. Carrie is the author of Different By Design: God's Blueprint for Men and Women.

WILLIAM TAYLOR

William TaylorRector, St. Helen's Bishopsgate - London, England

Exposition on Apocalyptic Literature

William studied at Cambridge University and served in the British Army as an officer in the Royal Green Jackets. He then studied theology at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and was ordained in 1991. He was then appointed curate at Christ Church, Bromley, in London. William joined St Helen’s Bishopsgate under Dick Lucas in 1995 and succeeded Dick as Rector in 1998. He authored Partnership (Christian Focus Publishers), a book on teaching the themes of Philippians as well as John’s Gospel: Read, Mark, Learn.

Barry is a research fellow in Old Testament at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia where he has also served as Lecturer, Senior Lecturer since 1978 and held the post of Head of Old Testament Studies during 1991-2005. He has several academic degrees and credentials including a BA from Queensland, BDiv from London and PhD from Sheffield University. He also serves as an assistant editor for the Reformed Theological Review. He has written or edited numerous books and articles including the Bibles Speaks Today commentaries on Isaiah and Zechariah as well as Five Festal Garments: Christian Reflections on the Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther.

John is Principal of Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. He completed degrees from London, Sydney and Manchester in Divinity and Old Testament Studies. Prior to serving as Principal at Moore Theological, he served as a senior lecturer. He also pastored Christ Church St. Ives for over a decade. John is most known for his work in the difficult task of teaching the Old Testament as Christian Scripture and has written several books, including volumes on 1 and 2 Samuel for the Preaching the Word series.